Comparing Hot Toys Iron Man Mark III with Mark IV: how they stack up

When I got my hands on the Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS123 Iron Man 2 1/6th scale Mark IV Limited Edition Collectible Figurine (reviewed in the previous posts HERE and HERE), I was most curious as to how different the Mark IV was compared to the Mark III and the best way to examine the differences between the two iron suits was to put them side by side. So here are some pictures of the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark III armor suit standing next to the latest Mark IV armor for some comparison shots as well as close-ups of the head / helmet, chest / torso and legs.

The latest Hot Toys Iron Man Mark IV is taller than the previously released Mark III. Mark IV is around 32cm (almost 13 inches) tall compared to Mark III which is around 30cm (12 inches). Click on the picture below for a bigger and better view.

In the screen grabs of the armor suits lined up in Stark's workshop from "Iron Man 2", all the iron man armor suits are of the same height. Why shouldn't they be? Tony Stark didn't grow any taller but the 1/6 version did. Tony Stark replaced the Mark III with the Mark IV because of the damage it sustained in the fight against Obadiah Stane in the Iron Monger armor.

The Mark IV armor is the first shown armor in the second film, meaning that it was built during the six months in-between the first and second films. The suit has a brighter color scheme, a differently-colored HUD, a generally more angular design, is more form-fitting, and aerodynamic than the Mark III armor.

Here are some pictures showing the side profiles of both Hot Toys 1/6 scale Iron Man Mark III and IV

Here's a picture of the iron man armor (Mark III and Mark IV) from the back. Click on the picture for ... (you know the drill :p)

And these are close-up shots comparing the Hot Toys Mark III and Mark IV armor.

The screen shot of the two isn't as telling but the 1/6 scale Hot Toys Mark IV shoulders are more streamlined compared to the Mark III's. The Mark IV is also more layered in the armor and bulkier. The abdominal area of the Mark IV is much more defined than the Mark III and I have shown in my previous post how Hot Toys designed it to be more flexible.

And then there are the leg comparison pictures of the Mark III and Mark IV as well. These are shots of the front of the legs. Scroll down for the back and sides.

These are closer views of the Iron Man Mark III and Mark IV armor as seen from the back

And finally, side view comparisons of the Hot Toys 1/6 scale Iron Man Mark III and Mark IV

Full review with pictures of the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark III figure
Part I: Mark III Box Packaging and basic figure
Part II: Mark III light-up features
Part III: Mark III in flight mode

Full review with pictures of the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark IV figure
Part I: Mark IV packaging and box contents
Part II: Mark IV close-ups and details
Part III: Alternate head sculpt with some nice additions